Effervescent
by CurseBetweenUs
Summary: RavenJinx.  The first time they met outside of work, they exchanged few words and seperated angry.  The second time, they agreed to ignore each other more than get along.  The third time, they shared a few drinks.  The fourth time, everything went wrong.
1. Chapter 1Prologue

Title: Effervescent  
Based on: Teen Titans  
Summary: JinxRaven. The first time they met outside of work, they exchanged but a few words and seperated angry and hurt. The second time, they mutually agreed due to exhaustion more to ignore than to get along. The third time, they agreed to share a few drinks. The fourth time, everything went wrong.

Author's Notes: The summary makes it sound a lot faster than it actually progresses.

Prologue

Raven walked slowly down the street, casually glancing away whenever she walked near anybody. She wasn't wearing her usual cape over her leotard, and -as always- without her cape she was doubly aware of the people around her, now that she couldn't simply put up her hood and disconnect.

She avoided the eyes of strangers, hoping none would recognize her, however unlikely it was that even if they got a good look they'd feel even a glimmer of recognition. She made it a point to avoid the cameras whenever possible. Unlike the rest of the Titans, she could still go out in public and avoid detection with a few precautions. She'd removed her chakra about a month earlier, no longer needing it to focus her powers. In truth, she hadn't needed it for years but had always been too wary of her powers to remove it, and wasn't confident enough of her abilities to perform the complex spell to remove it.

She was eighteen, and after the last few years with the Titans, her already impressive powers had nearly tripled. Or, honestly, her power hadn't, her control had, which enabled her to access ore of her powers. She wasn't sure exactly how strong her powers truly were, she just knew she wasn't as far as she could go yet, and so she devoted a lot of her time to studying spell books and writing incantations in her room, or on the roof. But she hadn't just become more powerful in the last few years. She had also become a lot more outgoing.

In fact, she was right now strolling down the road semi-tense to meet up with a few friends at a coffee shop, explaining her 'normal' clothes. She was wearing dark skinny jeans and a black Evanescence tank top, a hint of makeup around her eyes. It had been a sunny day with a cool breeze blowing in from the bay, which even now in the warm evening tousled her violet hair that she'd recently gotten cut in a more common style, similar to Pink's in her new video.

She caught sight of the coffee shop and relaxed, especially when she caught sight of her friends in the normal booth, barely visible from the street. Her friend Ellie was gesturing dramatically, her fire engine red hair visible immediately, about shoulder length, sticking out in a punky style. Ellie was one of her better friends outside of the Titans, they'd been friends for two years, and Ellie was way to down to earth for anyone to dislike. She was herself, no matter what people thought, but wasn't in your face about like all teenagers seemed to be. She didn't act the way she did _to_ spite people, she did it _despite_ people. And that was why Raven had kept in contact with her.

"If you're gonna be late all the time, can I, too?" Asked Ellie, cutting off whatever she was saying when she saw Raven, smiling at her. Ellie's eyes were a frighteningly light blue, vampire-like, with flecks of darker blue, and her natural hair color was black, but she had dyed it red not long earlier. Raven still wasn't sure what she did for a living, but Ellie was somehow always busy and while she acted the same as the rest of them struggling for money, Raven knew she wasn't.

"Hell no, you'd show up three hours late." Raven snorted, flashing a smile and glancing at the others at the table. "Hey, guys." She greeted, then glanced at her watch. "And I'm barely late!" She said, actually impressed with herself, she'd gotten here in record time after a skirmish with Mumbo Jumbo, then changing in the car and phasing to an alleyway.

"I know, we're impressed. We ordered for you." Her friend Scott promised. He was Ellie's ex, which was how he and Raven met, but they all still got along fine, the break up amicable. He had that ruggedness no true city-boy could pull off, and had been born in Oregon, working with his dad in his logging company until he was eleven and his dad died, and he moved to California with his mother. He was twenty-one, his birthday just recently passed, with Ellie at eighteen. He worked as some kind of computer specialist; he didn't talk much about his work.

"So why are you late?" Asked another friend, Kate, glancing curiously at Raven. None of them knew who she was, although she thought Ellie might suspect, so she couldn't just say 'oh you know, the usual, throwing buses across intersections makes time fly!' Kate was majoring in Journalism at Jump University, with a minor in Acting.

"Traffic, the thing with the Titans backed up traffic on three intersections." Raven said, partially true. Traffic was pretty bad; Mumbo had put up quite a fight this time. "But anyway, why were we meeting this late anyway? It's almost nine." She pointed out, pointing at her watch for emphasis. The sun was getting lower in the sky, despite the still warm air, and would be gone within an hour. She really hoped they didn't want to go do something, she had been out on patrol since yesterday morning, first on a regular patrol, then last night breaking up three robberies, then this morning fighting Johnny Rancid, then today's fight with Mumbo that lasted nearly an hour.

"We're going to _Censor_," Kate said brightly, making Raven repress a sigh. Just her luck. But as she thought about it, she had tomorrow off, she could get some rest tomorrow, and anyway, she hadn't had a night to relax in weeks. She noticed Ellie watching her without attracting the others' attention, her eyes asking if Raven wanted to go. Raven smiled back and nodded.

"When was I going to be told? I could've dressed better." She pointed out, glancing at her outfit. Not really clubbing material, but better than some of the stuff she'd considered wearing. Since Ellie and Scott also weren't dressed for a club, she guessed Kate had sprung this on everyone last minute. Kate was _very_ spontaneous, which they all complained about but secretly needed. She helped them all unwind.

"When you got here." Shrugged Kate. "But we got sidetracked by your tardiness, it was put off by two minutes. Sorry for the inconvenience that two minutes caused." Kate teased. "Anyway, I was bored anyway, so I figured what the hell, let's go clubbing."

"Nice. You know, I had a show to go to tonight." Ellie said, but she didn't look upset to be changing her plans, smiling slightly. She went to shows a lot, was an expert on local music, and when she found good bands she used her contacts to set them up with interviews at a local record company, most of them getting signed. Raven was pretty sure that was a part-time job of hers, more of a hobby than anything, which gave a little credence to her theory Ellie didn't need money, if she spent so much time on a hobby.

"Bleh, The Roe again? Yeah the singers hot and they're great, but you've seen them like twenty times." Kate waved off, exaggerating. Ellie had found the band a few months earlier and gotten them a record deal, and now they were touring California, and she made it a point to see them whenever possible. They were still small, and needed all the support they could get.

"By the way, Jake asked about you at the last show, the other night at Torrence? Wondered why you weren't there." Ellie added casually, trying not to laugh as Kate's eyes bugged out. Jake was the singer, a man blessed with perfection, and Kate was 'in love'. "I gave him your e-mail."

"You're my buddy for a reason." Said Kate happily as she finished her drink, Raven's about halfway gone. She was drinking some weird fruity drink she always got, _Stanzaberry Apple Mocha,_ only available here, at least by that name. She wasn't sure what Stanzaberry Apple was, but this drink was, as Scott put it, 'extract of happy,' and had an extraordinary amount of caffeine and sugar, already making Raven's leg bounce.

"We leaving? I have work at six." Ellie said, glancing at her watch. She always amazed Raven, who would _plan_ to party literally til the work day started? Raven was planning on going home after this and sleeping for at least a day. She was just hoping nothing needing her attention happened tomorrow, because she refused to get out of bed. She didn't care if the Brotherhood of Evil was back again and ready to go, she was getting her day off.

She hadn't though about the Brotherhood of Evil, basically since it had been taken down. Why would she? Sure, a lot had changed since then, but a lot of things had caused changes, that didn't really stand out. Cyborg and Bumblebee were engaged, and so Bee had joined their team, meaning Kid Flash was getting ready to go take her place, and Robin was considering adding another member to their already large team anyway. Titans East now had eleven members counting Kid Flash, but their responsibilities had grown greatly as well. Everyone was much more coordinated now, worldwide, and every now and then the system came in extremely handy when a team needed help. And it was useful to track criminals worldwide.

"Let's go." Kate agreed, and they all stood, Raven grabbing another of her drink before they left, figuring she'd need the energy since she was already exhausted. One day, she'd learn to just say no to her friends. But she couldn't resist, not after so many years of constantly worrying about her powers, now that she had so much control of them, she wanted to make up for lost time. So she decided to tough out a few nights without sleep, she'd been through worse.

"So, Rae, you listen to that CD I gave you?" asked Ellie. "Within Temptation?" She added when it occurred to her she had given Raven probably two dozen CDs in the last two months alone. Some were garage bands, others, like Within Temptation, were well known, but at the same time not. So every time they all met up, she'd give Raven a few CDs to check out.

"Yeah, they were pretty good. Where'd you hear them?"

"Purevolume, I was randomly clicking names of bands and I liked them, so I listened to more songs on iTunes." She climbed into her Jaguar, her baby as she put it, and affectionately patted the dashboard as she started the car, smiling reflexively. Who wouldn't love a Jaguar? She grabbed a CD and plopped it in. Some kind of screamo poured out and she ejected it, cutting of screams about politics, and put in some Paramore. Kate and Scott exchanged amused looks in the back that she had hardcore, puking on the stage screamo and Paramore right next to each other. Everyone took her car, that way everyone but her could take cabs home instead of having to drive.

"So anyone else going?" Asked Scott, glancing out a window as some girl jogging with her dog in a tight tank top and short shorts. "What about that one girl, the lawyer girl who thinks she's a physicist?" He asked, glancing at Kate.

"She might be there, I don't know." Kate answered, scrolling through her phone. "But I doubt most others will be, there are some big exams coming up." She said casually, as if it didn't apply to her.

"Shouldn't you be studying?" Asked Raven, watching Ellie break at least half a dozen traffic laws already. Ellie was unable to resist going fast, and was lucky she'd been blessed with great driving skills. She wasn't a dangerous driver, far from it, she just managed to find every hole between cars she could fit through, and had some kind of psychic link to the traffic lights, and had gone through a phase of street racing a few years back, and the skills stayed with her. Every now and then she would drift corners, but never in her Jag. Only in her Mustang, a beat to hell '68 that was built to last. Even through her driving.

"No, I studied enough, I needed to relax." Kate gave the expected answer. She was actually smart, she studied ahead of time, then relaxed right before, studied a little more before the test, taking it easy and reviewing, then relaxed afterwards whether she passed or failed. It worked, she was always calm come test day.

Ellie cut between a Porsche and a BMW with less than an inch on either side, making everyone but Raven tense up. She knew Ellie would never risk damaging her car, she could make the gap. Ellie didn't notice their discomfort, or at least ignored it and stole a drink from Raven, then handed it back, a Diddy song coming on after a Paramore song, letting them all know it was a mix. It was a remix of Last Night, with tweaks here or there. Normally Raven didn't the song, but she liked this version.

"So Rachel, you been busy?" Asked Kate.

"A bit." Shrugged Raven. "No more than usual." She was always vague, after all, to them she was Rachel Roth, an assistant at an electrics company, basically an advanced secretary was how she explained it.

"If I told you once, I told you twice, you can see it in my eyes, I'm all cried out, with nothing to say. You're everything I wanted to be." Ellie busted out in song, releasing the wheel to do an odd little jig, her face and voice as sarcastic as her movements, making them all laugh.

"You handle that problem from the other night?" Asked Scott, hardly glancing at her, as he read a text. "When you got called off?" He reminded when Ellie looked blank, reminded Raven of a few days earlier they'd all been out at the coffee shop and Ellie had been called out on a work emergency.

"Yeah, wasn't much of an emergency, basically some noses needed wiping." Laughed Ellie, 'accidentally' blowing through a red light, doing an odd swerve to avoid the traffic cameras getting her license plate, which made Raven roll her eyes at the 'secret' cameras.

"I hate JT." Scowled Ellie, brushing some hair from her face, just for it to be replaced by another strand, as Justin Timberlake's Sexy Back blasted form the speakers. This was a heavily modified version, hardly recognizable. "He thinks _he's_ bringing sexy back? He's just bringing back my lunch, he's revolting." She scowled.

"And yet he's on your CD." Pointed our Raven.

"This version's pretty good." Shrugged Ellie, glancing at the floor. "By the way, here's your book back." She said, grabbing an Alex Kava book from the ground and handing it to Raven, who put it in her bag, which she would leave in the car until they all left.

"You like it?"

"Yeah, almost as good as the first one." She commented, then pointed with her thumb into the backseat. "There's a bag back there somewhere with the next couple, I picked them up a few days ago and read them. You can take 'em." Scott started looking around and found the right back, handing it to Raven. Ellie saw another car going for a parking spot and slammed on the gas, harshly yanking the wheel to the right, cutting off the other car and getting the spot. "Mwuahahaha." She laughed evilly.

"You frighten me." Kate told her mock seriously as they all walked inside.

Six hours later, at about three, Raven was sitting at the bar, talking to Ellie. Both were drinking and had a line of upside down shot glasses in front of them, laughing just a bit too loudly. They were both a little buzzed but not quite drunk, a good borderline. They'd been dancing most of the night and this was the first time they'd seen each other since arriving and they'd decided to drink for a while. They were both drinking vodka straight, and Raven had smelled the alcohol on her friends breath when they met up, so they'd both already been drinking. Meaning they _should_ slow down.

"Two more." Ellie called out to the bartender, who smiled at them, letting his eyes roam their bodies as he got the drinks, serving them over the guys trying to get drinks. Ellie smiled at him, as she'd done each time, a hint flirtatiously, just to make sure he was quick each time. They downed the drinks quickly, just as somebody slid into the mass of bodies around the bar by Raven, glancing at her, then choking on their drink.

"Shit." The person cursed, making Raven turn as she lowered the shot glass. Her violet eyes met wide, pink metahuman eyes filled with panic. Raven froze for a moment, her first thought _oh shit, she's gonna blow this,_ knowing Jinx would say her name, glad she hadn't yet. Her second observation: Jinx was also incognito. She was wearing a tight halter top and tight, black pants, her pink hair styled differently from her normal horns.

"Who're you?" Ellie asked, leaning over and squinting at Jinx suspiciously, glancing at Raven. "Rae?" she asked, indicating two more from the bartender.

"Uh, this is-" Raven said, her mind racing as she tried to think of a quick lie, but luckily a savior came in the form of three guys in expensive clothes with expensive haircuts.

"Jenny, you ready to dance again?" One asked, smiling at her, then glancing at Raven. "Jenny, this a friend of yours?" He asked, eyeing Raven.

"No," Raven said simply. She glanced at Ellie, to see if she was buying it, and Ellie simply downed another shot, then glanced at the guys.

"Eyes up here." She advises the guy, rolling her eyes. She glanced at Jenny, then cocked one eyebrow gracefully. "You are?"

"Name's Jenny." Jinx said, looking a little nervous.

"Yeah, I got that." Ellie confirmed. "You and Rae know each other?"

"No, why?" Lied Jinx, glancing at Raven, who gave her a _good job,_ look, grateful Jinx wasn't saying anything. Then it occurred to her that Jinx was probably just as uncertain about Raven.

"Ahh." Ellie said, and Raven couldn't tell if she believed her or not. Ellie was a smart kid, but she had no reason to be suspicious, and she _was _a little buzzed. Ellie grabbed Raven's drink and downed it, then indicated the dance floor. "Well, I'm dancing again, talk to you guys later." And immediately the three guys with Jinx eyed her, then glanced at Jinx.

"I think I'll get a drink." She told them, letting them go with Ellie to the dance floor, Ellie not looking interested, them looking star struck. Jinx sat next to Raven. "Thought heroes weren't aloud to have personal lives?" She asked. "Scotch, neat." she ordered, sliding money across the bar. "No drinking, smoking, breathing too loud, all that stuff."

"Thought dead people weren't aloud to have personal lives? No walking, public places, talking to heroes, all that stuff." Raven shrugged back, getting another shot and paying for it., downing it quickly and glancing at Jinx. "Haven't seen you in a while." She commented.

"Cause I've been dead." Jinx shrugged, nervous, avoiding Raven's eyes.

"Kid Flash visits your grave every month." Raven said, now asking for a water, her buzz a bit closer to drunk, teetering on the edge. She glanced sideways at Jinx, observing her. Jinx had definitely grown up, she now definitely looked her age, and all the guys in the place had noticed, especially with the clothes he was wearing. "He left the Titans for a while, couldn't get over the guilt, finally came back a few weeks ago. Thought he should have done something."

Jinx was silent, staring at her drink before ordering another, drinking her current one quickly. "I'm sorry." She said, and Raven didn't just hear the truth in her words, but she felt it, too, her empathic powers picking up on the regret easily.

And for the first time, Raven looked at Jinx.

Not just looked at her, but actually looked at her and seen her. She had never looked at Jinx as anything more then just another criminal, and after she helped them fight the Brotherhood of Evil, just with a hint of curiosity about why she turned. Never anything more. She'd never really looked at Jinx and seen her as a person. Nobody ever really stops and thinks long enough to realize that we're all people. We all have problems, pains, accomplishments. We all have scars, memories, dreams. And Raven had never realized that her and Jinx had something in common.

Both of their powers were destructive, and yet Raven had fought it her whole life while Jinx hadn't. Raven had never bothered considering that maybe there was a reason Jinx stopped fighting, succumbed to it finally and just let her powers do what they were best at: destruction.

"Jinx, he'll forgive you. You know that." Raven said bluntly, and Jinx's head snapped to her, looking surprised. Raven met her eyes for a moment before Jinx looked away, Raven seeing the surprise, pain, and guilt for a half second before Jinx hid them again behind a forced smile.

"Of course! Who _wouldn't_ forgive me? If you haven't noticed, I'm pretty hard not to love." Jinx said arrogantly, frustrating Raven slightly. Did she take nothing seriously? Was everything a joke to her? Raven bit the inside of her cheek and pulled her anger back, making sure she stayed in control. She couldn't risk losing control, not here, not with her friends around. Not over Jinx.

"If you say so." Raven said in a monotone, sipping a drink, glancing back at the floor and at Ellie, barely visible in the mass of moving bodies. Raven gave Jinx a final look, then pulled out her cell phone and scribbled an address on a napkin and slid it to Jinx. "Kid Flash's address." She said bluntly, wiping the smile off of Jinx's face, feeling a hint of satisfaction. She stood and whirled, leaving the pink-haired metahuman to sit at the bar, staring at the napkin.

Raven only had a few hours, she refused to think about the infuriating Jinx any more.


	2. Jinx

Note: yes this is the second chapter in one night. I wrote this really fast, so if there's a lot of mistakes, sorry. I have to be up to get ready for school in like five hours, I have two speeches and a test tomorrow, I should be sleeping. So be happy for his. I know this chapter sucks and is disappointing, I'm not sure where I'm going with this. But I have a few ideas how this could be important later, not sure if I'll use aforementioned ideas or not. I might post another chpater tonight, but I doubt it.

oh, and it won't let me indent. Anyone know how to fix this, tell me. Its probably really obvious but I haven't slept in thirty-five hours and about twenty minutes.

Jinx was shocked. Raven, who was famous for hiding in her room and hardly talking, had just had half a conversation with her. She'd said enough to make Jinx feel relieved, guilty, angry, hopeful, and confused. She could tell Raven was angry, although impressed she kept it under control, that Jinx didn't seem to care about Kid Flash. But the problem was, she did care. And everyday she hated herself for what she'd done to him. But she had to.

Kid Flash saw the world in black and white. There were bad guys, and good guys. He always thought she was a good guy who found being bad easier, but that wasn't the truth. While it was true she knew she wasn't like the others, she didn't enjoy the crime the same way they did, she felt bad…but she still did it. He didn't seem to see that. He looked at her and only saw her good, he couldn't see her evil. _Wouldn't_ see her evil.

When he asked her to help them, told her what was going on with the Brotherhood of Evil, she had hesitated. Her first thought was it wasn't her responsibility. They were the heroes, she was the villain. It had all been so much easier when the roles hadn't started to blur and change. When she was Jinx the criminal, and that was it. And so when he asked her for help, she was even more surprised than anyone when she said yes. She had been planning on saying no. She still didn't know why she said yes.

And she hadn't realized the repercussions of her decision until much, much later.

The Titans couldn't trust her. Sure, they accepted her into their home, they included her in their meetings, meals, and workouts. But they didn't trust her. Only one, Starfire, and she would trust Slade if he said sorry and smiled. She had to constantly prove herself, they were all just watching and waiting for her to screw up. And whenever she went on a mission, they had extra Titans go with her. Just in case.

And when she left the Titans' Tower, she'd found her 'friends' were even worse. They didn't understand that if the Brotherhood of Evil took over, it would be bad for them, too. The Brotherhood of Evil had no interest in small fries like them. They would be treated the same as the Titans; after all, they were potential competition, due to their powers. But no one would listen; they all just repeated the same word back to her: betrayal.

And she felt guilty about it. They were the closest thing she had to a family, and they felt she'd betrayed them. She hadn't meant to. But then again, she never meant to. And somehow, in the end, that's what happened. She betrayed someone, she made things worse for everyone. But this time, she only felt guilty that they were hurt, she didn't regret what she did. Even when she tried to. And with neither side trusting her, she decided to be on her own side. But their was no way to get away from everyone.

Well, there was one way.

If she had been able to think of anything else, she would have gone with that plan instead. But she couldn't. So she left a message on Kid Flash's machine, using all her acting skills, apologizing, telling him she couldn't take it anymore, then hanging up. Over the last few weeks shed been periodically draining her own blood and keeping it in the freezer, she then dumped it all over her bathroom floor, smears leaving the house. They never found the body, there was none to be found. But they did a DNA test, the blood was hers, and she was declared dead. After all, there was so much blood, no one could be alive after losing all that, right?

She had built a new life, made new friends. She'd even dated. But now matter how many days went by, or how many new friends she had, she couldn't forget the ones she left. The ones that were waiting for her if she ever chose to go back. Because deep down, she knew he would always forgive her. No matter what. And somehow, that made it worse.

She downed the rest of her scotch, savoring the burn in her throat, wondering when she'd lost the urge to dance. When she saw Raven? Or when she saw Kid Flash's address? She grabbed the napkin and slid it into her pocket, not noticing the eyes following her out the door, curiosity evident. Even as Ellie looked once more at Jinx's back, then at Raven. Neither girl noticed the other girl's glances.

Jinx downed another shot and laughed as the guy across from her fell over, making the men around her laugh, too. She was sitting in a bar near her home, in the middle of her second drinking contest, once again winning. She could tolerate high level of alcohol, because of her metahuman DNA and simple conditioning. After all, its not like thieves went home and read the bible after a good heist. And for her size, she could take a lot without getting too bad. But right now, she was pretty bad. Her vision was off, hard to describe, but everything seemed almost to ripple.

But she wasn't sure if the ripple effect was from the drinking, or the drugs. Nothing too serious, just some marijuana and a few lines of coke, but she was on a different level right now. She could feel the sound from the speakers, and the booming laughter around her was making the room shake. She stood up, suddenly noticing she could feel the sound but couldn't hear it, although she knew what everyone was saying.

"I gotta go home." She said as people protested her exit.

_"C'mon, just a few more…"_ Their voices were far away, and she didn't feel the hand that gently grabbed her elbow, urging her back.

"No, I gotta go." She said, then noticed she couldn't hear herself talking, but she knew she was. She could see her voice, but why couldn't she hear it? She rubbed her eyes as she stumbled to the door, waving off cries for her to stay. "See you guys another night." She said, not realizing she'd basically shouted it, none of them noticed, all were on a different plane.

She hit the street and was suddenly overwhelmed by the sounds, those that had been muted were suddenly coming back full-blast, pounding at her senses. Suffocating her. It reminded her of something. She closed her eyes and covered her ears, stumbling in the general direction of her house. She felt moisture on her face and suddenly realized she was crying, but she couldn't remember why. Something. Something she remembered.

But she gave up quickly on that, wiping the tears away and hearing music, seeing a dog wink at her. She winked back and laughed, stopping her progress. The dog looked at her and barked, he said something about the sky.

"I didn't hear you," she told the dog, feeling herself swaying and stopping herself, not knowing she had simply started swaying more in the other direction. "Say that again?"

"_The sky, its bleeding,_" the voice came form the dog even though his mouth didn't move, and for the first time it occurred to Jinx that maybe that marijuana wasn't just marijuana. After all, the dog's mouth must have moved since he was talking. But wait, what did he say? T he sky, bleeding? Jinx looked up and noticed the sky was turning red from the sunrise.

"Yeah, its bleeding." She agreed with the dog, noticing he was snarling and trying to attack her through the fence. She was shocked and jumped away, feeling fingers touch her neck, and she spun around., but no one was there. "Hello?" She asked, it never occurring to her that it was windy and her hair had brushed her neck. When no one answered, she felt a rush of adrenaline, and she took off running towards her house. Not sure what was so scary, not wanting to know.


	3. Jinx2

Notes: Look, I have the basic outline of a story in my head, but its gonna be slow progress, alright? And I'm sorry the chapters are so short. I WANT SOME FEEDBACK. I posted the first chapter about two hours ago and I've had like 8 hits, but no reviews. I want some feedback people. Even if its something rude. I just want something to prove somebody bothered reading past the first sentence. And I need to go to bed, so in fifteen minutes I am gonna do so. This is the last chapter, sorry its so short.

Jinx cracked open her eyes, feeling like she had slept for days. She wouldn't doubt it, she remembered flashes after running from the talking dog, falling on the floor near her bed. She rolled over and was shocked to find Kid Flash sleeping beside her but on the bed, turned away from her, dressed in his normal outfit.

"Flash?" she asked, her voice scratchy, and she reached out a hand to touch his shoulder. That was when she noticed blood on her hands, and she tried to remember what had happened. She came home, and…and what?

She grabbed Kid Flash and turned him towards her. "Flash-" and her breath caught in her throat. He was dead. There was no mistaking it. He was covered with blood, but she could see no wounds. His eyes were sightless, his mouth slightly open, his skin white, his veins pronounced. He was just getting stiff, his blood drying, and as she'd moved him he'd made a sickening _slurp_ as he was pulled form a pool of partially dried blood.

She could taste blood in her mouth, the metallic hint of it invading her nose, and she felt like it was clogging her pores. Like she was covered in blood. Finally coming to her sense after what seemed like hours but was really only seconds, she screamed and fell back, crawling backwards on the floor, sobbing. What happened? Why couldn't she remember?

She closed her eyes and held her head, trying to concentrate, but nothing came. She stood shakily and stumbled towards door. She needed to call help. "Raven," she breathed out loud. "Raven'll know what to do." She refused to think what she'd do if Raven wouldn't help her. But as she stumbled out the door, she froze, staring at the chaos that had been her living room.

The table had been flipped over, and there was dents in the walls, glass shattered everywhere. But the worst part was the foot sticking out from around the corner leading into the kitchen. Someone was there. And she tensed, but then heard a groan, and instinct kicked in, she ran towards it.

"Raven?!" She shouted, shocked to find the hero sprawled across the floor, her breathing raspy. And then she remembered.

She'd done a job with Mammoth last night, they'd hit some bank over on States Street, but Raven had caught them and called Kid Flash. And when he saw her…the betrayal in his eyes, the shock she was alive…but at the same time, he was so happy she was alive. She couldn't take the guilt, so she pushed him away, in the easiest manner: she'd attacked him. And he fought back while mammoth fought Raven.

But she hadn't meant to hurt him. She was just trying to get him to leave, or to something. She wasn't sure what, but she wanted him to do something so she wouldn't have to. She didn't wat it to be like this, but how else could it be? He had once told her he loved her, and she knew he did, but she didn't love him. They were on different sides of the law, and anyway, he wasn't exactly her type. But that didn't mean she wanted to fight him.

She saw mammoth take down Raven, but before Raven passed out, she sent a blast of energy at mammoth that nobody could survive. And Jinx snapped. She sent a hex at Kid Flash, not realizing what she was doing. He'd been knocked into the glass table, cracking it and getting cutup. She didn't remember anything else, not how they got in the bedroom or anything. But really, she remembered enough. This was all her fault.

Raven opened one eye and stared at her. "I told them." She said, her voice weak, so unlike her normal monotone. She sounded almost like she was b ragging, and she was even smiling a little, even as blood appeared at the corner of her mouth. "I told them you couldn't be trusted. I told them."

"Raven, I'm so sorry." She sobbed, then noticed Raven was wearing the clothes from the club. "Raven-"

"It was my one night off. But I had to follow you, I knew you'd do something. It's who you are." Raven snarled, venom in her words while Jinx sat back. "I spent my whole life fighting people like you, Jinx. You couldn't be a Titan, you're everything we try and stop."

"Raven, no, I'm sorry…." Jinx cried, then felt someone touch her. She glanced at her arm, then suddenly realized her eyes were closed. "What…?" She wondered, then finally opened her eyes to see a pair of worried brown eyes staring back at her.

"Jinx, you okay? You were having a bad dream." Said the owner of the brome eyes, Jinx's neighbor, who was laying next to Jinx naked. Jinx noticed her own nudity as well and groaned mentally.

"I'm fine, Rose. Just a bad dream." Jinx promised, pushing some hair away from Rose's faces, forcing a smile. "I'm fine."

"Good." Rose said with a smile, leaning over and kissing Jinx, her hands pulling Jinx closer, right up against her, with no room between them. Jinx felt the heat spread throughout her body, and remembered vague parts of the night before, but she didn't need to remember, she knew what happened. Again. She'd slept with Rose half a dozen times in the four years she'd lived here, although she had been gone for a long time it hadn't changed their habits apparently.

But she couldn't forget their eyes. Dead, angry, betrayed…

She forced the images away and focused on the most convenient distraction: Rose.

Note: I'm gonna have to change this chapter tomorrow, its not long enough for my taste, but I only have four and half hours to sleep and it takes a good hour at least for me to actually fall asleep, so I really have to go. Hopefully I'll update tomorrow, although I doubt it, I'm kind of busy tomorrow. Tomorrow I have to go to sneak into a school dance with my friend who goes to a different school, and go to a football game, and hang out with my cousin. Then the next day is my birthday and I have to hang out with my mom, my dad, my friends, and my cousins and such. And Sunday I have to hang out with other friends at a party. So I'm gonna be busy this weekend. Whish is why I'm trying to put up so many chapters.


	4. Bad Day

Summary: RavenJinx. The first time they met outside of work, they exchanged few words and separated angry. The second time, they agreed to ignore each other more than get along. The third time, they shared a few drinks. The fourth time, everything went wrong.

Wind howled against the tower, sounding almost like a whistle as it found its way into even the smallest cracks in the tower, rain and hail pounding harshly against the windows. Raven was sitting on the couch, her feet crossed at the ankles and a book in her hands. It had been a week since she'd run into Jinx, and the encounter had been mostly pushed from her mind. But when it did creep backup, she couldn't help but wonder what she was doing. She should have come home and told Robin immediately. The first night, she'd immediately told herself it was too late, she'd tell him the next day. The next day, he was simply too busy, she had no time to talk to him since he was busy with a series of crimes across the city.

But she had no excuse after that, it had been quiet with only a few crimes since then. So why didn't she tell him? She had kept pushing the thought from her mind, but now that she was actually alone, she thought about it. Something was stopping her, something stronger than the guilt she felt for keeping his secret.

She focused on that feeling and tried to identify it, and was startled to find it was understanding. She understood what it was like to feel like you had no choice, like running was the easiest decision. Raven had made the same mistake herself a few years earlier, and it had led her to the Titans, one of the few mistakes she didn't regret. But for Jinx it was the opposite, she had run away from the good, obviously feeling like she was choosing the lesser of two evils. And even if she didn't agree with what Jinx had done, she understood it, and she wanted Jinx to have the chance to fix this mistake. She wanted Jinx to be the one to tell them she was back, if Raven told them they would all assume Jinx had no intention of coming back and only did because she had no choice.

But then Raven hesitated. She hadn't yet considered why Jinx was back. That night she'd assumed Jinx was nostalgic, maybe things hadn't been going well, maybe she simply liked her past life better, but Raven had not considered if she was still unwilling to admit what she'd done. What if she'd just come back for something? What if she didn't want to tell Kid Flash? Would Raven keep it a secret forever? Could she?

Raven set the book aside and sat up, thinking. Kid Flash was doing alright, but he still blamed himself. He would be doing so much better if he knew she was okay. Raven knew he'd loved her, but she also knew the two had never dated. She had never known why, but Kid Flash seemed to be okay with it, he'd moved on. At least, until she 'killed herself.' Then he blamed himself, said he pressured her, tried to get her to change, wasn't there for her….basically he thought of himself as the antichrist.

Kid Flash was her friend. _So why hadn't she told him?_ She had instead decided to keep the secret for Jinx, someone she hardly knew and what she did know wasn't all that great. She wanted Jinx to be able to tell them, it would look better for Jinx if she told them on her own instead of Raven telling everyone.

Raven sighed and walked to the window, staring out at the gray skies and harsh, gray water surrounding their tower. "One week." She decided, whispering to herself. "I'll give her another week." Then she turned, feeling a lot more focused now that she knew how long she'd have to keep this secret. A week, tops, then she'd handle this herself.

Just then, the alarm went off, and as Robin called out details, Raven completely pushed Jinx from her mind.

------------

The rain hadn't lessened, if anything the wind had picked up and the temperature had dropped, sending freezing rain slamming into any exposed skin, almost like needles. The weather was bad for them, but lucky for everyone else, as the city was mostly deserted when the alarm sounded so no civilians would get caught in the crossfire. But it's hard to remember the positives when you're shaking so bad if you stopped moving you wouldn't be bale to stand up straight. They'd been in the freezing weather for nearly two hours, fighting off wave after wave of robots, but they couldn't tell where the reinforcements were coming from, they seemed to be pouring in from every direction.

Raven jumped up and swung her foot around, hitting the robot's shoulder and sending it to the ground but she knew it wouldn't stay down for long. Before it had the chance to get up she used her powers to pick up another robot and crashed the two robots together, sending a shower of sparks in all directions, singing her skin and outfit in a few spots but mostly leaving her undamaged. She made herself incorporeal, an old power that she'd become even more familiar with, now able to better spread the extent of her powers to much more people, and let two robots' attacks pas through her, then she lowered herself and reappeared behind the robot a few seconds later, quickly destroying them and glancing up. Most of the robots were gone, and the others were taking care of the last of them now.

"Robin, could you see where they were coming from?" Raven called over, yelling loudly to be heard over the weather, scanning the area quickly for the source of the seemingly never-ending line of robots. The entire road was destroyed, the road and sidewalk cracked and potted from all the sharp impact from robots, cars and people. Raven knew it would take awhile to clean up, but that wasn't her concern right now.

"I don't know!" Robin answered, slightly breathless from exertion. Sweat and rain was pouring off of him and he swiped at his face with one hand while swinging his bo-staff into the head of a robot, sparing her a quick glance. "We're almost done here, then we'll all spread out and look." He added while moving out of a robots way that Cyborg had punched into a wall across the street.

"Fine." Raven said, sighing and looking around. It would be dangerous to leave so much debris around, and construction crews were always slow in Jump, so she simply used her powers to lift up all the miscellaneous debris and move into a single pile in an alley, then started fixing as much of the street as she could while Starfire killed the last robot. Beast Boy was already sitting down against a wall, panting and holding a hand to his side, but Raven wasn't sure if he was hurt or simply exhausted.

"Titans, over here." Robin yelled, his voice barely audible over the rain pounding the buildings around them, hitting the ground hard and some water splattering back up. They were all drenched as they dragged themselves underneath an entryway, everyone breathing hard, shaking from the physical activities just as mush as the weather, all of them wincing and sporting cuts and bruises. "Anyone hurt badly?" He asked.

"Worst I got is a couple broken ribs," Beast Boy grunted, hand still on his ribs, a grimace on his face. "One got a lucky kick in." He muttered.

"Here," Raven offered, putting a hand on his side and enveloping his chest in a light glow, making him feel almost like his chest was falling asleep, that was the only way to aptly describe it. "We gonna search for the source?" She asked Robin as she pulled her hands back, pulling her cloak tighter around herself, glad she'd recently taken to wearing pants and a shirt instead of her leotard, glad for the zip-up hoody she was also wearing tonight. In fact, the only she wore the cloak instead of just a hoody all the time was because people associated her with the cloak, and she didn't want that to change; after all, it made it easier to get along unnoticed in everyday life.

"Yeah, but we don't really need all of us to do it." Robin yawned, looking around. "Two or three of us could scan the surrounding area, then do their patrols and just keep an eye out for any evidence of the robots." He said, obviously thinking out loud..

"I volunteer." Raven offered, kicking herself even as she said it. But as he spoke she had just happened to be glancing around at them all, and everyone looked absolutely miserable. Besides Beast Boy was healed now but still sore, so he should go back to the Tower, and she knew Robin had been on patrol most of the night before. Starfire was barely standing; she must have gotten hit a few times and just wasn't admitting it.

"Me, too." Cyborg said quickly, eyeing Robin's exhausted form and Starfire's distracted wince. "I can cover ground while Raven covers air." he continued before anyone else could volunteer. "No need for anyone else, I'll go on patrol after that.

"we should probably have two people on patrol, just in case." Robin said. "I'll relieve one of you in a few hours…"

"No, we'll be fine." Raven interrupted. "Get some sleep, everyone can stretch their shifts tomorrow so we'll only half to do half a shift." Her and Robin mad eye contact, and Robin nodded slowly, somewhat tense.

"Check in every hour." Robin grunted. "If you're more than five minutes late I'm sending everyone after you." He nodded at beast Boy and Starfire. "Okay, guys, looks like we're heading home. Get some rest, longer shifts tomorrow." his eyes slid back to Raven's, then to Cyborg's. "Be careful. We don't need anybody hurt." And with that he turned, walking to his motorcycle leaning against a wall down the street.

"Damn conscience." Cyborg grumbled, making Raven smile. "I'll head East on foot and head up to Main, checking out a good area around their, then I'm gonna start towards Fray's." He told her, stopping when her cell rang, and she glanced at it, giving him an apologetic look. She answered but didn't say hello, per usual.

"Rae, its me." Ellie's voice was somewhat hard to make out due to the music in the background and the other voices.

"Hey, El, I'm kinda busy, what's up?" She asked, yawning slightly.

"You outside? You crazy bitch, get inside you're gonna get pneumonia or herpes and then you're gonna die, and I'm not in your will yet." Raven imagined Ellie waving a finger in her face, scolding her, and smiled. "Anyway, I wanted to ask if you were headed to _Censor_'s tomorrow. I might find some time between shindigs.."

"I don't know, maybe." Raven responded, trying to calculate how much sleep she could get if she went. "I'm gonna be out most of the night tonight, work problems." Raven rolled her wrist and winced, it was slightly swollen from a bad twist when she fell off a roof.

"You sound busy," Ellie commented, her next few words cut out. "…call you tomorrow, I…….you. O…? Rae?"

"I can't really hear you, but I think I get it. Talk to you later." Raven said loudly, then hung up, glancing at Cyborg. "Sorry." She said sheepishly.

"Its fine, Rae." He smiled. "But I'll check everything on ground zero, you check roofs and such."

"I'll start East, then head north." She said, heading out and making sure her T-Comp was attached to her belt, and that she had her headphones so she could listen to music. Normally she would have to listen for odd sounds, but the weather was way too bad for her to hear anything anyway, so that would be pointless. She cursed when she scrolled through her songs and found out Starfire had borrowed her T-Comp and changed all the songs. She put on the best songs she could find, and sighed.

It was going to be a long day.

------------

Jinx strolled up the street, shoulders hunched and hood up, trying to ward off the chill seeping into her skin. Her breath clouded her features as she walked down the street, once again in a bad neighborhood. She was putting off going home, hoping Rose would get annoyed and go home. She didn't want to deal with Rose today. In fact, she didn't want to deal with anyone today. She just wanted to be left alone.

In her pocket, her hand was tightly gripping the napkin Raven had given her the night before, without her even realizing it, her hand starting to cramp from her holding it so tight. She didn't really need it anymore, she'd looked at it so many time throughout the day she could probably now forge Raven's handwriting, her fingers had traced it enough he ink had smeared.

What was she supposed to do?

She knew what she should do, she should go to his address, confess what she'd done. But how could she do that? What would she say? _Oh hey, Flash, I was in the neighborhood and I thought I'd drop by to tell you I'm not dead after all. Surprise! _

Somehow she didn't think that would work out well.

And so when she finally dragged her hungover ass out of bed, she'd left via the fire escape after a hasty search for clothes. Her sweatshirt smelled like a cat, or at least had until she'd sat in the rain for an hour, now it just smelled like rain. And honestly, she likes rain. It made everything clean, washed away the dirt and grime of the city. She wished it could wash away the blood and lies from her, the same way it cleaned the world.

But it didn't really clean anything, it just washed it from what was exposed. It was still there, everything just looked clean. Like the option of going to Kid Flash and telling him the truth; it seemed like it would wash away what had happened, but it wouldn't. It would just make everything seem clean. And the more she thought about it, the more uncertain she was about whether or not he could forgive her after all.

And how could she ask him to? How could she ask him not to hate her, to love her like before? She _deserved_ some type of punishment, she knew that. But she really didn't want to deal with it, either. So instead of filling her day by doing the right thing, she found herself here, in the worst part of the city, with her identity hidden. Looking for a reason to vent her frustration. Wait, not a reason, an excuse. As she realized the difference, one that seemed so minute but was really so important, she hesitated. This was a bad idea.

But it was the only one she had.

So she kept walking into alleys, glaring at anyone she mad eye contact with, hoping to get some kind of response. But most seemed happy to ignore the crazy girl with tense arms and hand in her pockets.

She ducked into another alley, water dripping form the rooftops on both of her sides, but the three or four feet of ground right beside either wall was dry, and so was packed with people who had no where else to go. She had a surge of memories, when she was younger, sitting in alleys watching the business men and women walking by on their way to work, hardly sparing her a glance. She pushed back those memories, and focused on her mission, trying to piss somebody off.

She made eye contact with a scrawny man-wait, not a man, just a kid, maybe fifteen-with paper-white skin and bloodshot eyes. He was shaking, coughing, obviously sick, but no one seemed to care. In fact, people were already eyeing his spot, eagerly awaiting his last breath. She froze, horrified. How could they just let him die? Why was no one trying to help? She looked around at the starving bodies huddled together for warmth, no one near him for fear of getting sick, too.

"Hey." She said, jumping at her own voice. He tried to be polite and managed a half smile, then coughed some more. She frowned, he was pretty bad. He wouldn't make it through the next couple days if she left him.

Wait, when did it become an if? She was going to leave him, of course, it wasn't her problem. Just another street urchin, he was young, but she could see track marks on his arm, so its not like he had a bright future ahead of him. She would leave him, maybe come by tomorrow to see if he was okay.

"Come here, I've got somewhere you can stay." The voice sounded like hers, but she was fairly certain that wasn't what she meant to say. But the words seemed right, and she couldn't take them back now. She extended her hand, and he stared at it, clearly startled. His eyes slid to hers. "It's alright, I'm not gonna do anything." She promised. "But I have a couch that is a little bit comfier than pavement. And food, and medicine." She added, and saw his head perk up. "No catch."

"Wait, that kids toast, take me." A voice blurted, pushing themselves off the wall, and Jinx glanced over while she helped her original target up. It was a man of about thirty, with a scraggly beard and long, greasy hair. "He'll be dead by morning, its pointless to take him, but I-"

"No, he's fine, I've seen worse." jinx interrupted, staring at him, then her eye softened at his weak appearance. "Look, you come, too, but you've got to help me with him. I can't take anyone else thought."

"Thank you, so much." He blurted, eyes slightly damp. "I won't eat much, and I don't need a blanket or anything, I'll sleep on the floor. I just can't handle another night out here." He said, leaning over and grabbing one of the other man's arms, slinging it over his shoulders and helping the guy walk, with Jinx under his other arm.

"It's fine, I have room." Jinx said, glancing at all the faces they passed. She felt like she was choosing these two men with her over all of them, how could she leave them all here? But the fact was, she couldn't take care of all of them. She could only do so much. She tried to think of what else she could do, and she remembered there was a warehouse for sale around the corner with an okay heating system, and at least it was dry. Maybe if she talked to the current owners, she could set something up…

As she left, it never once occurred to her that she had come here looking for a fight, and left wondering how to help. 


	5. Temporary Chapter 5

Authors Note: Okay, I just literally walked through the door after a party and am in no way capable of writing anything write now, I can't even speak. But here I am anyway-who really listens to common sense when in party mode?-retyping everything I'd already done, because I can't find the file. I could just try again when the world isn't so craxy to me, but I'm determined to post something tonight, now that I have internet and whatnot again. Soo here's a gift or curse, I'm not sure since I havent typed it yet…yup…

Jinx felt oddly philosophical as she glanced around the dark room, watching the remnants of smoke slowly disperse and disappear in the flickering candlelight. She was seated on a floor-a wood floor, she noted, tapping it with her finger and getting a splinter that confirmed her belief. "You're floor just bit me?" Jinx asked Rose, her brow furrowed in exaggerated confusion.

"What?" Rose asked, coughing and laughing as she tried to breathe. "It's…smoky….Jenny?" She looked at Jinx, mouth open slightly. "Do you remember when you got drunk and fell asleep in the hallway, partially upright, snoring and drooling?"

Jinx stared at her for a minute, wondering how she knew it was smoky, then seemed to remember she'd been asked a question. "wait, what are we talking about?" She asked, blinking and staring at Rose. "Are you listening to me? Am I talking out loud?"

"No, you're whispering. Oh wait, is that out loud?" Karen asked from her position in the corner, periodically passing out and reawakening like clockwork every time Jinx spoke. She had a crush on Rose, and had secretly despised Jinx from the beginning. Jinx, being as perceptive as she is, had immediately noticed and so had returned the hostility. Meaning the only way to get them in the same room was with the lure of drugs, as all the girls had a weakness for sex while hallucinating. And so Jinx and Karen refused to speak, but were quite willing to have sex. An odd relationship, but it still had forged a bit of a bond, however unwanted it was.

"You're dumb," Jinx accused, squinting and pointing, then giggling. "I…I need to…" She said randomly, looking around. "Am I real? Am I alive?" She asked, suddenly paling. "Oh shit, am I dead? Is that real?…oh shit…" She muttered, repeating herself over and over again frantically. She looked around and saw a rubber band, sliding it over her wrist and snapping harshly, rocking back and forth all the while.

"J, you okay?" Rose asked, sounding oddly robotic in her monotone, but her expression radiated fear and concern. "J?"

For a moment Jinx didn't answer, she just looked at the clock with hopeless eyes and an empty smile. "I'm fine," She said softly, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. "Fine." She reopened her eyes and stood shakily. "I need to go, I have that meeting soon, remember?" She said as she walked around, searching for her clothes as the other two girls shamelessly admired her. "Rose, are you laying on my bra?" she asked as Karen's phone rang.

"Yeah……yeah, I know her, she's clean…..what do you want to know?……How close? Well about six feet, m'dear!" Karen cackled, wrinkling her nose at Jinx. "What?……..Ohhh, like, my address?…..I can't tell you, I think I just fucked up…" She said in confusion, hanging up. "IS someone looking for you that shouldn't be, J?" She asked slowly, obviously confused and unable to focus, but trying valiantly nonetheless.

Jinx hesitated, glancing at the wall and remembering her surprise (whoa for a minute there I totally forgot what I was writing, mid sentence I just stopped…but anyway I remember now…)runin with Raven at the bar, wondering if Raven had told. It was what she expected, why would she keep it a secret? Jinx has accepted the inevitable, and was growing more and more anxious the more time that went on, as she knew that soon enough they'd find her. She feared the punishment, but at the same time craved it, she needed to pay for what she'd done before she could accept forgiveness.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Rose was suddenly saying inches from Jinx's face, fingers running down the side of her face in a both seductive and comforting manner. Jinx hesitated, exhaled and enjoyed the contact, as she considered her answer.

"I'm fine…I need to go…." She muttered, standing abruptly again, realizing she'd been sitting the whole time. She started getting dressed again, this time quicker, as she tried to hide her shaking hands. She had to do something, she couldn't just keep getting high and drunk until her problems solved themselves. She had to get up and do something, and as she pulled on her converse she swore she would.

Raven was slightly shaken up as she struggled to get all the way to the wall about ten feet in front of her, blood drops appearing beneath her every step. Her breathing was ragged, all she could hear except for the occasional battle cry breaking through her fog. She tried to remember what was going on, but instead she only become more aware of the extent of her injuries, and felt an overwhelming sensation of déjà vu. She made a mental list of everything wrong with her; severe concussion, four broken ribs, two cracked ribs, a broken wrist, a dislocated shoulder, a collapsed lung, 3rd degree burns covering her right leg, four broken fingers, a cracked pelvis bone, etc., and recognized the situation, feeling a wave of ice wash over her.

"Not again…" She whispered, trying to see through blood-filled eyes, hoping this time she could change something, anything, about the end. She was aware of what exactly 'the end' was, she was just acutely aware of how…_wrong…_it was, and that it needed to be changed. Despite her broken state, she struggled in the direction she knew she needed to go, not questioning how she knew, just obeying. The human mind can only take so much pain before it loses its sense of individuality, losing all resistance to conformance. She fell to her knees, sucking at the air, feeling unconsciousness pricked at the edges of her psyche…

"Raven, help!" The voice was disembodied, everywhere at once, and twisted with such strong emotions it sent chills down even Raven's spine. The voice was female, her age unknown but not old, an intelligent voice used to explaining problems, not begging for a rescue. A voice all too familiar to Raven.

"I'm coming, don't move!….Can you hear me?" Raven yelled, ignoring the voice scolding her and telling her to remain hidden, to obey her training. She was willing to risk her life and status in Xeo for this mission, she knew she had no other real choice. She couldn't bear the thought of failing, who would happen…

She realized she was crawling, feeling the rocks cutting at her palms and knees. "Hello?" She yelled, voice hoarse and pained, breathing even more labored than before. She couldn't see at all due to blood trickling into her eyes, and her right arm was out of commision, as were-realistically-her legs, She was not even a factor in this battle anymore, but she couldn't drop out until she knew how this was going to end.

"Raven!" A new voice called out, crackling slightly, with a definite authority to it. It caught and held her attention immediately, and she felt her eyes opening, as slowly blackness erupted into her bedroom. Inhaling deeply, nearly panting, she grabbed her comm unit and flipped it open.

"Yeah?" She asked, trying to hide her exhaustion even as she yawned. "Whats up?"

"We've got a situation, some meta is on the rampage in Northern Jump! No ID yet, but Cyborg's almost there, and I'm meeting him! I think we might need you in on this, too." He yelled to be heard over the screaming of wind around him, as he was on his bike.

"I-wait, where?" She asked, jumping up and looking for clothes, still shaking out some sleep-craving thoughts, wondering if she could get a coffee or something before she left.

"Cyborg sent me an exact location now, he's tracking him up 45th, headed towards the 46th/Chandle intersection!" He rattled off, knowing she was preparing to phase there. "I'll be there in six minutes!"

Raven sighed, looked at herself and pulled a cloak on over her loose black boxers and tight black tank top, not bothering to pull on shoes when Cyborg was alone with whoever this was. Silently, she slipped into the floor, trying to ignore the pit of anxiety ripping through her from the dream.


	6. Kit

Authors note: part of this was written the same night as the last chapter, but apparently I passed out while writing it…or something…I really don't remember what happened with that. Anyway, due to ironic circumstances leading to a for once undeserved suspension, I will now have a long time to work on this story. That is, if my writers block disappears. I've written to a point that I'm not sure how to get from point A to F, so each chapters just trying to get to where the story will really pick up. I promise it'll get better soon.

Jinx was exhausted, she'd been working for fourteen hours straight now, all hard labor, and she was starting to get worn down. They were attempting to make the front area of the warehouse able to support human life, which turned out to be a lot more trouble than she'd originally thought. Part of the lease was her agreeing to fix up the warehouse for a reduction in the leasing price, as long as she spent $250 a month in additives, she would save 50 of the normal leasing price, because they could tell she was in this for the long haul and figured they could get a lot of work done by her.

"Hey, Cary, can you start locking up?" She yelled at the teenager by the window rolling up a long extension cord. "I don't want anyone sneaking in before we leave and hanging out all night." Cary was the guy she'd found in the alley, she was putting him to work on the warehouse, paying him in housing and food. He had readily accepted the offer, and had been working a lot harder that she'd expected considering what she considered the meager rewards.

"Sure, Jenny." He offered brightly, jogging down the hallway, his footsteps echoing even when he was out of sight. Jinx smiled at his enthusiasm as she let out a breath slowly, trying to relax but failing miserably as all her muscles twinged in annoyance. They were bringing in old pews from a Church replacing all their outdated pews, and Jinx had convinced the Priest in charge of the disposal of the pews to donate them to the shelter. He had readily agreed when she explained her plan, then offered to round up a group of volunteers to help out in the preparation. She had declined, not wanting to impose, but was already regretting it as the third fourteen hour work day ended. She wondered if this would ever amount to anything, if this shelter would even ever serve its purpose. _Maybe I'll lose interest, or have to leave town, before its done, and it'll fall apart,_ she feared, shuddering at what would end up being wasted effort. "Hey, I'm heading out tonight." she told Cary, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands. "I need a break, you're welcome to join me." She offered, more out of manners than anything. If she was honest, she wouldn't have extended the offer at all, not that she had a problem with him or anything, she just wanted to be alone tonight. She preferred heading out alone, picking up friends later. She glanced down at her clothes and giggled out loud, noticing how grimy she looked. "Maybe I'll even change first," she said in a boastful tone, posing heroically.

"Wow, must be seeing someone special…" Cary teased, tapping her arm with his elbow while he laughed. She stuck her tongue out at him childishly, making him laugh even harder as she, too, grinner. "Well, make sure you don't stay out too long, it's already kinda late and we're still starting early tomorrow, right?" He asked, pushing his longish blonde hair back out of his face. He reminded her of Lenoardo Dicaprio in Titanic. Except for not. "I think I'd better head straight home, I'm exhausted." He added.

"Oh," she commented, holding herself up on her toes as she twisted form side to side, trying uselessly to pop her back but managing to look like a little kid, complete with tongue in cheek as she concentrated. "I suppose I'll see you later tonight then." She shrugged, doing a half flip into a handstand, then twisting in weird ways to try and pop her back again. "I'm doomed to a life with an unpopped back," she moaned sadly, banging her fists on the ground as she laid amongst the filth, not caring as she stuck her lower lip out. 

"Oh, what a curse." He mocked, laughing. "I'm heading back to your place, I'll see you later." He said, his voice echoing slightly in the small area as he walked over and helped her to her feet. "You sure you'll be cool alone?"

"Yeah, I always am." She said casually, clapping him on the shoulder and skipping happily to the corner, picking up her bag with exhausted muscles. "Anyway, I'll meet you here in the morning, normal time." she called over her shoulder as she jogged out, leaving him frowning after her. As she got in her crappy car, she turned on the radio as she searched for her energy drink. She snapped to attention as a news bulletin on a Titans battle earlier that day rolled.

Jimmy was sixteen, and had been arrested a total of twenty-two times already. He'd spent three years in the juvenile detention center in Jump, and even now was on probation. He'd stolen, beaten, blackmailed, and cheated his way into his life, where no one trusted him except those who had no other choice. People who were just like him. He was sitting on a corner, smoking a cigarette as he waited for his dealer to show up as he waited to buy some rocks. His mother had picked him up a few weeks earlier when he was most recently released, then drove him straight to a motel. It had bothered him more than he would ever admit when she'd said she couldn't have him at the house anymore. He had told her he didn't need her, he didn't care about her or love her anyway.

It had been a lie.

He'd spent a bit of time at the motel, but when his room needed to be paid for once more, he instead left and went to stay with his friends. He was already back into dealing heroin, cocaine, and marijuana. But not matter how high he got, no matter how drunk or exhausted or rich he was, he couldn't forget his mother had cried over him. But he did nothing to change it. In his mind, he'd done nothing wrong, and so there was nothing he could do to fix the problem. So he ignored it.

He licked his lips and nervously looked around, checking if anyone could see him, wondering at the emptiness of the city. He had never stopped taking OxyContin, even in juvie he'd managed to have the pills snuck into him. The first few days they keep you separated from the other inmates if they think you're an addict, and he was terrified of reliving those days of hell. He'd wanted to die, the withdrawal _felt_ like he _was _dying. But instead it just continued, seeming to last longer than any other sensation he'd ever experienced, until finally he was released into general population, and the pills immediately were accessible. His habit was one that, privately, scared him. He felt like he was out of control, like he wasn't even himself anymore. But he couldn't take the withdrawals again, he doubted anyone could. In fact, how could the counselors tell him he was strong enough to? Nobody was. They expected too much out of him. He pulled out three pills.

His musings were interrupted as the building across the street exploded outwards, someone having been thrown _threw_ the wall, rolling harshly along the ground until friction finally slowed them down. Jimmy's jaw was on the ground as he recognized the person as one of the Titans-Cyborg. He felt his fear grow as it occurred to him that something was strong enough to do that, and his head swiveled towards the hole.

There was someone walking through the dust, he could only see their outline but it was clear they were approaching. He knew he should run, but he was too scared to move. He didn't notice his cigarette was ashing all the way to his fingers and would burn him at any moment. He didn't notice Cyborg trying to stand, but some part of his brain registered the groans of pain and increased his adrenaline. Fight or flight syndrome was kicking in, but he still wasn't sure what to do, even as the dust began to settle and the figure was revealed.

He blinked, making sure he wasn't imagining the sight, then was overwhelmed by utter bafflement. It was a girl. She was about fifteen, short, great body, his mind listed. Then he noticed her veins were visible even all the way across the street, and most stuck out on her arms and neck, her face was mostly normal, almost no visible veins, but her eyes were so light they appeared to almost be pure white, her hair jagged and brown, hanging limply around her pale face. He squinted at her, stumbling back as he noticed her veins were throbbing with her pulse, and a few had been injured and were leaking near black blood it was so dark. _She's not human,_ he thought, fear trickling from his mind down his spine and into his legs, freezing him, feeling like his insides were ice. 

"Cyborg!" Yelled a voice, and Jimmy glanced up, jaw still hanging open. It was another Titan, this time Raven, flying up beside Jimmy without sparing him a glance, her eyes glued to Cyborg. "Shit, I can heal your human parts, but…" She trailed off, kneeling beside Cyborg. "You're out of this." She said firmly, her eyes and voice leaving little doubt as to whether or not she meant it. Jimmy agreed, and mulled over why Cyborg still tried to stand.

"Raven, you can't fight her alone. She's got help, some guy, and she's tougher than anyone we've fought," Cyborg argued viciously. "This will take the whole team! You have to wait til the others get here!" He was almost yelling, and probably would be if he was physically able. Jimmy's eyes widened, realizing this was true. Raven was so much smaller than Cyborg, and Cyborg was strong enough to pick up entire buses. He couldn't defeat this girl, so how could Raven? Jimmy remember the stranger and glanced at her, saw her watching Raven with interest.

"I can't. I have to stall them." Raven said bluntly, pulling her hood up and standing as Cyborg tried to grab her, but she just used her powers to move him back and out of the way. She finally acknowledged Jimmy, monotonously adding, "you might want to move."

He nodded, then cursed as he was burned by his cigarette. The girl standing in the destroyed wall snapped her attention towards him, making him freeze again, throat tightening and drying as his eyes involuntarily widened. He was terrified. Later on he would deny it, but at that moment, he lost control of his bladder. Her eyes…she'd looked like some kind of Demon. It felt like she could see his thoughts, as easily as though she were reading a book. Then she looked away, back at Raven, and he realized he was shaking. A single look, lasting no more than a second, and he felt like his world was ready to collapse.

"Raven," He called out, voice desperate, clearly surprising the teenage crime fighter. Nonetheless, she glanced back at him, pausing momentarily. "You can't beat her alone, look at her." He said, trying to sound braver than he was, his voice cracking and shaking. "You can't."

She stared at him, as though considering his words, then smiled slightly. He was surprised, he'd never even seen a picture of her smiling before, she was actually very beautiful. "That's probably true." She admitted, running a hand through her hair, smirking ruefully. "But I have no choice. If I don't fight her, she could hurt other, innocent people. I can keep her distracted, away from them, and that means this is my responsibility. I have to fight her." She said, voice monotone the entire speech, face betraying no emotion past the smirk. He just stared at her, feeling some of the words sink in. She was risking her life for complete strangers, knowing she would get little to no thanks. He couldn't even stop doing drugs for his own mother. He finally obeyed Raven and left, mind spinning. He dropped his pills as he left.

Raven wasn't feeling exactly confident right now. The girl has a weird aura, concealed but still barely visible. Like writing on a pad of paper and ripping off the top sheets, when the writing is still slightly visible underneath. Raven tried to gleam what she could, but only managed to achieve a sense of foreboding. Raven may have looked perfectly calm, but she was deeply uneasy. As she got closer, she noticed more details about the girl.

Her skin was almost white, her veins almost looking painted on they were so visible, while many popped out as though she was straining greatly, and yet her face was mostly unblemished. She did have a bleeding wound beside her right eye, but otherwise looked mostly unscathed from her battle with Cyborg, worrying Raven even more, but she had no choice. If she died, maybe it would be better anyway. 

"You must be another of the famous Titans," mused the girl, her voice silky smooth, tinted with some type of accent. She smirked, hair falling slightly in front of one eye as she cocked her head to the side, almost curiously, but instead the effect was that of menace, as her smirk revealed the tips of fangs. Raven was now close enough to get a good look, and could see the girl had claws for nails, short but clearly pointed, with some blood on the tips. Her veins were clear on her paper like skin, bluish green lines crisscrossing all over her, with the exception of her face, the lines heading up her neck but simply cutting off around her jaw, more lines visible by her temple, but curving away,

"And you are?" Raven asked, not exactly one for chitchat before battle, but knowing how super villains liked to talk and oftentimes give away valuable information. She regretted not putting on shoes now, as broken glass and other rubble cut at her vulnerable soles, but it was easy enough to ignore, considering the situation at hand.

The girl seemed to consider the question, glancing around her at the destruction she had caused, as she flexed her fists experimentally, making the veins on her arms pop out anymore. "A name, is that what you want?" She asked, and though the question was clearly directed at Raven, she spoke instead to her surroundings. "A story? A confession?" Her eyes suddenly snapped back to Raven, eyes oddly excited, questioning.

Raven suddenly noticed it was warm today. It may only be noon, but already the sun had heated the city in a way that would most likely hinder her in battle, as she could already feel trickles of sweat forming on her back. She considered abandoning her cloak, but she had no idea what this girls powers were, and her cloak was extremely heat resistant, made from materials from her home world. A gift from her mother, when she was still just a child on Azareth, before she understood what she really was, why everyone whispered as she played. She observed the area, memorizing the layout, all the rubble that could be obstacles or weapons in this fight. The tension was palpable, but she was willing to let the silence hang as long as the stranger was willing, every second brought help closer.

"I'm sure the rest of you will be here soon enough, lets not hold this up on their account." The girl suggested, and Raven had barely registered what was said before the girl had appeared in front of her, fist already moving. It was instincts that let her raise a small shield in front of her fist, while she threw her hands forward as a fist, a small ball of black in her hand, released as she fanned out her fingers. The resulting explosion sent the stranger back roughly eight feet, but she managed to land on her feet, smiling. Her veins were throbbing even faster now as her pulse quickened, adrenaline flushing her system. Raven felt the same reactions in her own body.

"My name's Kit," the girl said offhandedly, then leapt forward again, spinning her leg around her. Raven blocked the kick with one arm and was shocked by the force, using her powers to construct a paper thin barrier between Kit's leg and her own arm. Before the kick had even landed she struck out with a fist, but it was grabbed by Kit's right hand, and she tried to pull Raven forward. Raven focused and pulled her hand through Kit's, who was clearly caught off guard, and carried it through to land a harsh blow to Kit's ribs. Kit stepped back, then looked at Raven. Her pupils had been small from the glare of the sun, but were now growing abnormally large, her breathing quickened slightly.

Hardly any time has passed since her arrival, she wished she could check her watch, but she didn't dare break eye contact. And she'd forgotten her watch in any case. Distracted, she was a fraction to slow in blocking a punch, and felt pain explode in her cheek, sending stabs of fire through her whole head, a sting all the way to her fingertips. She stumbled back and was blinded for a moment, her vision to blurred to be of any use, and kicked out blindly. She felt an impact but no glory as she was also kicked, in the ribs, and an audible crack was heard. She let herself fall backwards into the ground, reappearing about ten feet away, trying to regain her balance as her vision swam and the ground seemed nearly to sway.

She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and swiveled instantly, bringing her hands in front of her defensively. This girl was definitely meta, no one was that fast, or that strong. A foot was flying towards Raven's head and she blocked it and another aimed at her stomach, trying to unbalance Kit while she was airborne. She grabbed her ankles, but Kit used it to her advantage and pivoted quickly, twisting Raven's arms slightly and letting her catch herself on her hands, pulling her feet down hard and surprising Raven, who barely kept her grip. Luckily she did, as she was able to thrust Kit's attack forward as she launched her legs back at Raven head. Kit pushed off with her hands and was on her feet again, both of them eyeing each other a bit more warily than before. Still, Kit seemed almost excited.

"Interesting powers, I'm curious why you hold back so much," Kit commented, then attacked again. They were barely visible as they punched and kicked and blocked and fell, Raven depending on her powers more and more as seconds ticked by with help yet to be unveiled. But as she fought, she used her powers to raised a broken, pointed pipe from the destroyed building, making it hover behind Kit as Raven waited for the perfect opportunity. It was presented as Kit dropped to one hand and swung her legs into Raven's, making Raven begin to fall. She sent the bar flying at Kit's torso, hoping to wound her bad enough to put her down, at least long enough for help to get here. She was shocked as Kit ducked, almost laying on the ground to avoid the pole, having seen it despite it being behind her.

"Tsk, tsk, that's not playing fair." She observed, standing and glanced sideways at Raven, who was still rising slowly, cautiously. "That could have killed me." She and Raven both paused as they heard a motorcycle nearby. "Ahh, the cavalry," Kit glanced around, including at Raven, then took a step forward again. Raven was surprised she was staying, but made no move to avoid the next clash. "You don't talk much, eh?" 

"I figure my actions speak for themselves," Raven responded dryly, earning a chuckle from Kit. Raven struck out with a fist, using her powers to raise half of a desk from the rubble, sending it at Kit, testing her. Kit started to dodge it, but Raven used her powers to create black shackles around her feet, chains wrapping around Kit's legs. Kit snarled viciously, like a caged animal and glanced at the approaching projectile, then Raven. She raised her arm at the desk, palm facing it, fingers spread, and suddenly a dark blue shield appeared and stopped its progression. It fell to the ground and Kit turned to stare at Raven again.

"Try harder."

Raven released Kit and both jumped back, in unison gesturing at each other as random bits of rubble surrounded them, turning them into weapons. Both of them constructed shields and blocked it, then started pulling out bigger pieces, sending them hurling at each other as they beat at each other's shield, attempting to crack the, knowing they'd fail. They both dismissed this plan as futile at the same timer, running at each other with barriers still shimmering around them, again engaging hand-to-hand. Both were bleeding and bruised, exhaustion starting to sink in as Robin appeared, kneeling by Cyborg to check on him quickly. 

Kit snarled again, Raven noticing her eyes were bloodshot, but with black lines instead of red, her pupils huge, nostrils flared. She really looked like an animal now, her lip curled, making her fangs the dominant facial feature. She extended her fingers tightly and jabbed forward, Raven deflecting the blow with her forearm but also getting injured semi-seriously, blood appearing instantly on her skin. Kit's other hand was already flying at Raven's face, and she couldn't completely block it, but grabbed Kit's elbow, stopping her attack just as she scratched Raven's face and neck. Raven brought her knee sharply into Kit's stomach, hearing Kit growl and release air sharply, then was suddenly flung back by Kit's powers, through a window, landing on a pile of rubble and rolling to the bottom.

"Raven, are you okay?" Yelled Robin, and Starfire landed beside Raven as Robin ran towards Kit.

"Yes, friend Raven, are you hurt?" Starfire asked, concern evident as she kneeled. Raven rolled to her back, leaning her head back against the ground, eyes closed, attempting to catch her breath. "Raven?"

"I'm fine, Star…go help Robin, he's the one who needs you…" Raven answered, panting, her breath hitching, but she opened her eyes and rolled them to Star's. "I'm fine." She repeated.

"Are you sure…?" Starfire started, but Ravn waved her off with a firm, "go." Starfire nodded and rose into the air, hands and eyes glowing as she flew towards Kit. Raven laid back and tried to lift her right arm, groaning as pain swept over her, her arm falling back quickly. She slowly moved her head to the side, a pounding headache distracting her, but she realized she was dizzy, and squinted to see her arm. A piece of glass had stabbed all the way through, explaining the pain, and blood was already forming a puddle as it steadily flowed from the wound. She took inventory of her injuries. Nothing life threatening, but the next few days would be a bitch. She sat up, feeling her vision spin and she closed her eyes and tried to steady herself, feeling nausea rise. She breathed deeply, ignoring the sounds of battle nearby, finally managing to stand, leaning on the wall beside the broken window for support.

She glanced at her arm again, turning so most of her weight was against the wall in her back, her legs propping her up. She grabbed the glass, the slightest touch intensifying the pain even more. Ignoring it, gritting her teeth, she gripped it tightly, her palms and fingers bleeding, too, as she ripped harshly upwards. She collapsed again, leaning against the wall, the piece of glass in one hand as she struggled to stay conscious. Finally she reached over weakly, laying her other hand on her injury, focusing and using what energy she had to heal it. She then relaxed again, noticing the battle was no longer in progress, and turned around.

Kit was standing atop a half-collapsed wall, with an already bleeding Robin and Starfire below, looking up hesitantly. Kit was clearly the winner in that battle, with no new injuries, her hands clawing at the rubble she was using as a pedestal. She laughed and dropped to the other side of the wall, and Raven could see from her position as Kit landed easily from the twelve foot drop and took off, disappearing almost instantly into an alleyway. She was gone now, all she had to do was drop into a sewer, reappear in a different part of the city where she could escape unnoticed. Besides, no one could go after her. Starfire and Robin spoke, Robin clearly frustrated, and they started towards her.

"Raven, who the hell was that?" Snapped Robin, sounding like a father who'd caught his daughter making out with a boy. Raven rolled her eyes as he started ranting about random things, Starfire and her exchanging annoyed, exasperated looks.

"Yes, I'm fine, don't worry," Raven said sarcastically, talking over him but managing to get his attention. He, too, looked worse for wear, as Kit had obviously taken them down quickly to leave. Starfire didn't look as bad, but even the super powered alien was injured.

"I'm sorry. How bad are you hurt?" He asked, eyes softening slightly as he observed all the blood and bruises with a wince. "Cause you look like shit." He eyed the blood form her arm on her and the ground.

"Beat up, but I'll be fine." Raven answered, pinching the bridge of her nose to ward off her growing headache. "Her name's Kit, she's got powers similar to mine. She can create barriers, hurl objects, etcetera. And she seems to have some kind of super speed and super strength. Cyborg also said she wasn't alone, but I never saw anyone else." She glanced in the direction Cyborg was, but couldn't see him from her. "Is he okay?"

Robin frowned. "I don't know. I sent Beastboy back to the tower with him, he was unconscious." Robin let out a breath through his teeth, rubbing his neck. "This came out of nowhere, she attacked him while he was on patrol, or he saw her and started it, I'm not sure. Either way, it was no coincidence that her first activity here is an encounter with the Titans." He frowned at paparazzi everywhere, then glanced at Raven. "Boxers, huh?" He asked cheekily, keeping a straight face.

"Shut up." She grunted, chuckling slightly until she realized her choice of pajamas would be all over the news. "I hate cameras." She grumped, and the others laughed at her expense.


End file.
